Former British number one tennis player, Annabel Croft, will be visiting Windsor Penarth Lawn Tennis Club on May 18 to officially open the first padel court in Wales.

The court was installed in April 2021 by Game4Padel but due to COVID-19 restrictions, an official launch was not possible.

A padel court is smaller than a tennis court (10m x 20m) and is surrounded by glass walls and a metallic fence (3m and 4m high). It is a racket sport that combines elements of tennis, squash and badminton and is played by over 10 million people worldwide.

The balls are like those used in tennis, but the rackets are smaller and easier to play with as they are made from high-density foam.

Anthony Phillips, former chairman of Windsor Penarth Lawn Tennis Club, said: "We are very lucky to have these fantastic padel facilities here at Windsor Penarth. Padel is a really fun, addictive game and it's easy to learn, so it's great for players of all abilities.

"The court has been extremely popular since it was installed and, after today, we're expecting more people to come and try it out."

At the opening event, which will take place during the club's British Tour Tier 1 Tennis Tournament, Annabel, 55, will be playing several Pro-Am padel matches and showcasing the sport to anyone interested in giving it a go.

Michael Gradon, co-founder and CEO of Game4Padel, added: "The sport of padel has huge potential to grow in the UK because it is fun, easy to pick up and highly sociable. Other European countries, like Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden, are seeing an enormous take up of the sport.

"We are really pleased to have facilitated the opening of this first court in Wales and are already in discussions with a number of other venues in Wales to open more courts."

Other Game4Padel ambassadors include former tennis player Andrew Castle, Andy Murray, Jamie Murray, and Welsh rugby player Jonathan Davies.